Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Radishes, Collards, and Beets, Oh My!

Confession:
I have at least three weeks of CSA shares in my fridge.  Well, on the stove at this distinct moment.  I'm feeling rather overwhelmed with radishes, collard greens, beets, and mesclun.  The other items I can easily utilize (kohlrabi, carrots, spinach, turnips), but these have me stumped.  The mesclun not so much, it's just that we don't eat salad frequently enough for the quantity we receive--and my children demolished my salad spinner so it's inconvenient to my lazy tendencies.

So I'm dejectedly browsing through food.com, eyes glazed over, trying to figure out how to utilize the bounty we're blessed to receive.

Friday, November 23, 2012

CSA Week 8

Hooray for kohlrabi!  I'm doing a happy jig in my kitchen because this week we received kohlrabi in our CSA share.  YUM!

We also received carrots (which will go in with the kohlrabi), mesclun (which keeps ending up in the compost because we don't get to it before it turns), swiss chard, and cilantro.

Not sure what we'll do with the cilantro yet, but we'll be enjoying kohlrabi and carrots, and swiss chard rigatoni.  Good thing I have one bell pepper left from a previous week!

And if we're on the ball we'll have a salad with the mesclun.  ;)

Friday, November 16, 2012

CSA Week 7

Another round of kale, pac choi, radishes, turnips, as well as broccoli and thyme.  I got smart and separated the radishes from their greens.  A couple of the kale ribs came with bugs (a different variation of squash bugs?) so I set it to soak in vinegar water to see if it helped loosen any of the unwanted, umm, protein so they could be washed away.  They were tenacious little buggers so the affected parts were tossed.

I made a radish green soup that I added some barley to on a whim.  None of us have tasted it yet...I'm thinking of adding more to it for a heartier soup/stew.

We revisited one of the pasta recipes from Week 4 for the kale.  I'm noticing a recurring theme of greens and pasta...yum!

The pac choi leaves were used in a fish packet recipe that we won't be making again.  I think I ended up improvising it too much.  The stems are slated for a pork fried rice recipe.

We found a pork chop recipe for the radishes...it was okay, but it won't be made again in our household.  The turnips, broccoli, and thyme are still in the crisper.

Friday, November 9, 2012

CSA Week 6

This week we had the opportunity to enjoy radishes, carrots, mesclun, swiss chard, and sweet potatoes.  Some beets were thrown in as well.  It was an interesting week and nothing was touched after it had been loaded into the fridge until over a week later.  Surprisingly, the mesclun was still hunky-dory (but it didn't last a second week of no use); the radishes, not so much.  The beet greens were unsalvageable as well.

I used the swiss chard in a rigatoni that received high marks from all.  I made it for lunch, and they asked for it for dinner as well!  The carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes are still in the crisper.

Friday, November 2, 2012

CSA Week 5

Turnips, baby carrots, a small head of lettuce, collards, bell peppers, and cilantro comprised this week's assortment.  At the time we hadn't utilized quite all of the greens from previous weeks (I post a couple weeks after the fact) so I asked if I could swap the collards for a butternut squash.  They kindly obliged!

The turnips, butternut squash, and carrots (along with the sweet potatoes and the rest of the kale from last week) were utilized in a glorious meal called Stamppot.  I used brautwurst rather than rookwurst.  It is beyond my understanding why my husband and my middle child do not like this meal.

And we actually had salad with the lettuce.  It took me too long to get to the computer so I don't remember what meal it was with.  The cilantro was used in a pork recipe in Week 7.

Friday, October 26, 2012

CSA Week 4

This week our share included sweet potatoes, arugula, kale, bell peppers, and parsley.

The bell pepper and part of the kale were used in a very yummy sausage linguine that I made with bratwurst (and thin spaghetti because it was what I had on hand). I skipped the parmesan due to the dairy issues of the nurseling.

The sweet potatoes and the rest of the kale were used in a stamppot recipe that I made Week 5.

The arugula was enjoyed in a yummy pasta dish that everybody devoured.   I used thin spaghetti instead of fettuccine, a can of italian diced tomatoes instead of the plum/grape tomatoes, I skipped the red pepper and the half-and-half.

The parsley is still in my crisper.

Delayed

I haven't been able to get onto the computer this week to blog, but I'm excited about some recent recipes that turned out very well.  My hope is to blog properly after we finish out the market season today.
Other delays worth commenting on?  The 2012 vendor application for the Burlington Christmas Market is not yet available so I have no information to pass on at this time.
Conversations about my limited presence in a local chiropractic office are occurring sporadically as our various schedules permit.

Friday, October 19, 2012

CSA Week 3

Do I have to admit the relief that washed over me this week for not having a large share?  They received okra.  I'm surprised at the intensity of my emotion.

Anyway, this week we received 1.5 pounds of tomatoes, half-pound of hot peppers, a bag of mesclun (a loose leaf lettuce), one pak choy, and one bunch of basil.

We tried the leaves of the pak choi as a side dish with apples and onions.  If I ever make it again I'll use stock/broth instead of water, and I'll only try it if I have tender young leaves to use in it.

The stalks of the pak choi where crisped in a bowl of ice water and then julienned into a crockpot recipe for Peppers & Steak.  I used kabob beef from T5 Farms that we didn't get around to kabobbing (I sliced it thin and seared it with some garlic salt).  This recipe also used up the rest of the bell peppers we had from the last couple weeks of CSA and the anaheims we received this week.  I also added a chopped vidalia and minced garlic that live in my fridge as standard pantry items.  After crocking on high for a couple of hours I pulled out the stuff and thickened the "sauce" that remained with a bit of cornstarch.  I haven't eaten it yet, but the kids have been using it a bit more fajita-like for lunch.

To me, working with the fresh pak choi stalks/stems it seemed like cabbage-smelling celery.  Does that make sense?

The basil was wasted in a failed experiment with an old family standby of Oven Chicken and Rice.  It was bad enough even Grandma commented on facebook about it not working out.  But hey, now we know, right?

The mesclun is still in the crisper.  Sigh.

-JS

Friday, October 12, 2012

CSA Week 2

This week's share included asian stirfry greens, romaine lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, cilantro, and bell peppers.  (The larger share also had turnips and butternut squash.  Yummy.)  Oh, and they gifted us with a dozen of their farm fresh eggs!

 We were going to use the greens in an impromptu stirfry for guests.  There were three, possibly four, varieties in the bag and I had removed the excess rib/stem from all of them and started the rinsing and washing process.  Then we couldn't find the lid to our salad spinner, my colander is still at my mother's (she's working on canning applesauce from apples we picked at a local farm), and we were out of time--along with not fleshing out this idea of stirfry with stirfry greens.  We ended up throwing together a hasty pot of chili (using the last of my canned beans) and the greens sat submerged in my salad spinner on the counter.  For two days (we won't discuss the chaos that was occurring).  So, the stirfry greens ended up in the compost--along with the water they were stinking it up in.

We had big plans for the cilantro...salsa, or fish tacos, or something.  But the same chaos that wasted the stirfry greens on the counter, created a similar fate for the cilantro in the fridge.  It would have fared better if we hadn't simply tossed the bunch on the shelf...but that's as far as it got.  Notice a theme this week??

The tomatoes and peppers were utilized in a Stuffed Pepper Soup that is going into our collection of yummy soup recipes.  We didn't make it quite per recipe, instead we did two cups cooked ground beef mix (we call it Meat Mix), two cans beef broth, four heirloom tomatoes (cubed/chopped), one cup long grain rice (uncooked), three red bell peppers (diced/chopped), two tablespoons brown sugar.  The kids made cornbread (with rice milk) to go with it for a hearty lunch.

The lettuce is still in the crisper, and the spinner lid still has not been found.  Ugh.

-JS


Friday, October 5, 2012

CSA Week 1

I jumped in with both feet and am participating in a local CSA this autumn.  We received our first CSA share September 22nd and it contained one pound bell peppers, one pound hot peppers, half-pound okra, 3/4 pound tomatoes, and a bag of basil.  I would argue that it was at least two pounds of okra.  LOL.

The tomatoes and part of the basil were utilized in Ontario Bean Soup.  I ended up making it late night so didn't have any, but DH enjoyed it and a co-worker of his said it smelled good when he took a second serving for lunch.  It will be made again.

The bell peppers are slated for some beef kabobs, if they don't head south before we get to grilling.

The okra was used in a Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya.  I'll be making the recipe again, without the okra.  I haven't found a dish yet that allows me to enjoy okra.  More proof that I'll never truly be Southern.

The rest of the basil was used in Peach Basil Chicken.  Rather than immediately serving over the chicken per the recipe instructions, I popped the chicken breasts back into the pan on top of the "slop" and let it stew for another twenty minutes or so as I was prepping some crockpot oatmeal for the next morning.  The flavor is FANTASTIC!!  This is going into regular meal rotation and I will continue the accidental practice of stewing it to help infuse the flavors further.  YUM!

The hot peppers consist of poblano, anaheim, jalapeno, serrano, and fish varieties.  I don't do spicy foods---it took me YEARS to be able to handle the red sauce Taco Bell puts on their burritos.  DH enjoys chile relleno occasionally so I prepared my mother-in-law's recipe with the poblano and anaheim peppers.  What to do with the others??

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Happy Birthday to Me!

August is my birthday month!  To celebrate, I'm donating $1 from each chair massage at the Burlington Downtown Farmers' Market  (behind Company Shops Co-op) to local charities.  Help me reach my goal of $25 donated each week by encouraging your friends, family, and co-workers to pause for a spot of massage for themselves.
I plan to have a collection jar each week so if you feel like donating further to these non-profits you can do so easily.  Live Local. Eat Local. Buy Local. Give Local.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Media Monday: iContact Archive

I finally had a moment to sit and search for the info on how to make past e-newsletters available for review.  iContact has a fabulous blog post about it that lays out easy-to-follow instructions.  Once the archive URL was generated I created a new tab in my blog menu, but instead of creating a page I had it redirect to the archive URL.  Works beautifully, and it's self-updating.  No muss, no fuss--just the way I like my technology and media!

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Meal Planning: The Pantry

As mentioned previously, I tend to keep a stocked pantry that aligns with the meals we tend to utilize.  My pantry is wall-mounted adjustable shelving DH had assembled for me in 2000 and a 17cf upright freezer (manual defrost).

My pantry shelving holds modest quantities of canned and packaged foods, I shop to replenish what I use out of it.  My freezer holds freezer jams we made with last year's harvest of peaches and blackberries, this year's harvest of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and peaches.  My grains and flours, bulk meats, bulk cheese, breads, and leftovers are also in the big freezer.  The freezer that is with the fridge holds pre-cooked meats, frozen veggies, and shredded cheese.

I buy ground beef in quantity and cook it down with onion, garlic, oregano, and black pepper.  Then I package it into one-cup increments and toss into the freezer.  When I need ground beef (sloppy joes, spaghetti, etc) I toss a package in the microwave for a minute and then go on with meal prep.

When chicken breast is on sale I toss it in the crockpot with some broth and chopped green chiles to cook down.  After draining and shredding I pack it into the freezer in one-cup increments for use in makeshift pasta dishes, quasadillas, etc.  Again, a quick nuke and moving on with meal prep.

(Though, if I'm on top of my game, I defrost the pre-cooked meats in the fridge so I'm not utilizing the microwave.)

When we do bacon, any leftovers are tossed into a baggie in the freezer for use on sandwiches or served alongside breakfast dishes.  Or as a snack.  I don't reheat the bacon, I eat it frozen. 

I keep shredded cheese in the freezer.  It makes it easy for me to use it and doesn't mold.


Do you do any shortcuts in your pantry to make meal prep or meal planning easier for your household?

-JS

Friday, July 6, 2012

Meal Planning: Foundation

A childhood friend messaged me today, asking how I meal plan.  I've touched briefly on it elsewhere before, but figured it would be an interesting topic to delve into further here to tie into the Real Food Fridays that I have not been posting (innocently whistling sheepishly).  Meal planning is ever-evolving around here--we have to work around a slew of food reactions, within a budget, and still live life.  One of these days I will get back to more scratch-cooking and our microfarm will be full-tilt, but until then...

 I try to meal plan all meals and snacks, and I meal plan for the entire pay period.  DH doesn't like having similar things too close together so I can't do chicken two nights in a row, or pasta two nights in a row, etc.  I created a framework to cut down the brain power required:
  • Roasts
  • Soup/Salad
  • Breakfast for Dinner
  • Mexi/pseudo-Asian
  • Rice/Pasta
  • Grill
  • Miscellaneous

I plan dinner first--on a good week I also plan sides--then I plan lunches, breakfasts, and snacks.  Some things we have standing each week, like animal crackers for our snack coming home from church on Sunday.  When I have an opportunity to be crafty, I want to update my menu-planning menagerie to something similar to this.  I like the idea of the primary ingredients list being on the back so you can quickly build your grocery list.  At the same token though, I keep a pantry and tend to shop to replenish the pantry rather than shopping for specific recipes.

Also, we have fail-safe meals that don't go into meal plan rotation that we fall back on during those crazy days where nothing goes according to plan.  They include:
  • Spaghetti
  • Alfredo (though not all of us can eat it)
  • Sloppy Joes
  • Rotini (a family recipe)
  • Chicken and Stuffing
  •  and we have a few boxes of Hamburger Helper from when it was free due to couponing

There are some options for those that do not wish to do their own meal planning, that don't involve take-out.  Fresh 20, e-Meals, and Menu-Mailer are all paid-for weekly menu plans that include shopping lists and recipes. Or, there's also the concept of Entre-Vous or Dream Dinners; better yet, if you're in the vicinity of Wilmington, Raleigh, or Chapel Hill you can take advantage of the awesomeness that is Custom Fit Meals.


How do you plan your family's meals?

-JS

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Me-Care Wednesday: Hot/Cold Therapies

Aches, pains, and inflammation can often be helped by alternating hot and cold therapies.  A few are fairly easy to do at home.  Remember to alternate at 20-minute intervals...beyond that the body starts trying to self-regulate and you essentially negate your efforts.

The Rice Sock
A rice sock is easy to make--simply fill a sock or stocking with rice and tie a knot in the end.  Make two and you can keep one in the freezer and use the other in the microwave (1-2min depending on your microwave).  Nuked rice socks provide a moist heat and drape nicely around the neck and shoulders.

River Rocks
Most hot stone massages utilize smooth basalt rocks.  Personally, I find they are too hot on the surface initially, and then they cool of quicker than anticipated.  I like using river rocks because they seem to disperse their cold/heat evenly and consistently.

So what do you do after you locate some river rocks to use for hot and cold therapies?  First, give them a good scrubbing with soap, water, and a scrub brush and then allow them to dry thoroughly.  You can keep a couple of clean stones in the freezer to use for cryotherapy, and you can warm up a couple of clean stones in a crockpot of water or on the stovetop.  Always wrap your stone in a thin towel before applying to your skin, just like you would for an ice pack or a heating pad.  Place on the desired area, or lay on top of it so your body can relax over it.

Places I like to place hot or cold stones?  For a full-body treatment I like to have stones at the neck (especially the scalenes), shoulders, pecs, hands, (sometimes elbows depending on client), sacrum, lumbar region, rhomboids, (sometimes teres), inguinals, greater trochanter, both sides of the knees, foot arches, and slim pebbles between each toe.  ...Now I'm tempted to load up my crockpot with stones!

When you're done with your stones, be sure to give them another good scrubbing to keep them clean.


What are your favorite ways to apply heat or cold to your aches and pains?

-JS

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Me-Care Wednesday: Tennis Ball Self-Care

A little spot of self-care you can do for yourself between massages is to utilize a tennis ball.  Simply place the ball between the wall and yourself and roll along it.  This method works great for shoulder tension (trapezius, rhomboids, etc)!  Raquetballs and others don't work as well, the tennis ball has just the right blend of strength and give to be effective.

You can moderate the pressure you utilize with the tennis ball so it works best for you.  Remember on a pain scale of 1-10 (7 being that involuntary gasp of "OH!") you want to be around a 5 or 6 for trigger points, where it's a "good hurt."  You can hold that spot until it releases, which sometimes takes quite a bit of time, or just give it a spot of affection and move on.

Tennis balls can also be helpful by laying on them on a bed or couch so your muscles can relax over the ball.  The mattress or couch cushion generally give enough that the ball isn't jabbing into you.

For feet, simply roll the tennis ball between your foot and the floor.  Easy-peasy to do while watching your favorite tv show or movie!

-JS

Monday, June 25, 2012

Media Monday--eNewsletters

I signed up for the free trial at iContact and sent out my first eNewsletter in two years earlier this month.

An eNewsletter for June, matching welcome notes for those that request to be on my mailing list--whether through market or through the internet, and a sign-up form on the blog.  Not a bad start, eh.  I still need to sort out the Facebook app for mailing list sign-ups and see if there's an option for a Web-based copy to post here on the blog like one of their competitors has.

Added bonus? A personal phone call from customer service to see how my first mailing went, an opportunity to check out Vocus, and they have oodles of online self-help support including blog posts and how-to videos.

Return on investment?  17% of my mailing list returned the week the newsletter went out; and one with a friend!  Not certain how much is coincidence, but I'll take it!  And two weeks later when I sent a "postcard" to notify that I had to take a sick day, I received replies wishing me a speedy recovery--so very kind!

Do you have an eNewsletter?  How often do you send it?  What content do you include?

-JS

Monday, June 4, 2012

Media Monday--Twitter

I had tried Twitter in 2009, but always felt redundant in posting and never grasped the Twitterverse concept.  Facebook worked better with my logic; Twitter I couldn't wrap my brain around sufficiently.

After chatting with Hank at Social Post Interactive on one of his podcasts, I decided to give it another go.  Especially since HootSuite makes it so much easier to handle multiple social media venues.  I'm really enjoying it this go-round!

Following folks in your community (geographically, socially, and/or professionally) truly is key.  Through HootSuite, it's easy to plug in an URL and have it automatically shorten--this opens opportunities to link pictures, blog posts, or other websites.

Hash-tagging can convey emotions, shades of sarcasm, or tags/labels/metatags which can further expound your point or lead others to your twitter-feed.  Also, from the tiny screen, it's easier to tag others into your conversation than it is on Facebook.  Tagging others can improve your social media reach by showing up in their feed (and some folks may be more inclined to retweet,or re-post, when you show them some love).

Have you tried Twitter yet?  You can find me @pauseNC.

-JS

Sunday, May 20, 2012

No Sundays

It's a delicate balance being a mom and pretty much anything else.  As many of you have heard me say: my practice must serve my family, rather than my family serving my practice.

It is with a heavy and conflicted heart that I am now stepping away from the Sunday afternoon Burlington Farmers' & Crafters' Market.  I love working markets, and I'm particularly fond of this one!  They have been nothing but good to me all these years (I was first with them in 2009), but my participation is wreaking havoc on my family.

Even though I'm no longer a vendor, please be sure to stop in and support the fifth season of this local market. (Or become a vendor yourself!)

-JS

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Media Monday--HootSuite

During the Social Post Interactive's podcast about small business use of social media I lamented about not being able to post to my business Facebook page from my phone.  The Facebook app for Blackberry only does my personal profile page.  HootSuite was suggested--TA DA!

HootSuite is a free app that allows you to distribute one post to multiple social media venues.  You can attach an image or file, schedule a post for a future date/time, share your location, and adjust your privacy options; you can even utilize your Twitter tags (but not Facebook's) and feed your blog posts.  Oh, and when posting from the computer you can add a link/URL and automatically shrink it.  It was easy enough to set up an account, to link my current social media accounts, and to download the mobile app from Blackberry App World.

I did have some frustration with it during the week.  Every time I tried to post from the phone it failed to post to Facebook.  Turned out that when I first connected my fb account I had opted out of letting the app access it whenever.  No more problems once I re-connected it and permitted anytime access.  I can post directly from the computer or phone, and I can schedule a post from the computer or phone--pretty exciting, eh?

What did you do with your social media or social marketing this week?  Have you tried out HootSuite yet?  Has your message reached any additional people in the past week or two?

----
Social Media Update:
Facebook Page: 21 Likes
Twitter: 10 Followers


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Media Monday--At the Starting Line

Social Post Interactive, LLC kindly invited me to participate in a podcast about social media use by small businesses.  I thought I would create a blog category to keep track of my efforts as a result of the information and ideas I received; perhaps it will prove useful to other small businesses.

Prior to the podcast my small business social media included a recently started blog and a recently started Facebook page (I had re-aligned my web presence after a 15-month maternity sabbatical, during which my original website expired).  The blog didn't have any public followers, and the Facebook page had 17 fans. 

While my Facebook URL is on my sandwich boards at market, my social media links are NOT on my business cards.  I lamented over it greatly when I was placing the order, but the cards felt cluttered with the links added to everything else--the state legislature requires that I have my licensure information, I wanted to indicate my primary modalities/services (chair, Thai foot massage, infant massage classes), and I needed to have my phone and email.  I need to ponder an adequate solution, but for now it'll have to do.

So, I'm armed with information, I'm at the starting line with a fresh web presence, and where I'm starting from is now documented.  Shall we see where this goes?  Do you think I'll achieve a high return-on-investment with my no- or low-cost marketing efforts?  Do you have a business, event, or cause that you're trying to move forward through the use of social media?

Tune in next Monday!
-JS

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Pause to Give!

Sitting in my massage chair can be good for you.  It's good for the community, too!

For every massage I provide during the Saturday market $1 will be donated to Cub Scout Pack 11.  For every massage provided during the Sunday market $1 will be donated to Boy Scout Troop 11.  Both are smaller units that meet in Snow Camp.

Look for upcoming dates for other local non-profits that I choose to support.

Live Local.  Give Local.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Epsom Baths

This past weekend we finished our chicken coop.  While the tale of that adventure belongs on our homeschooling blog, or the microfarm blog we have yet to start, the self-care I need to do because of it belongs here.

So, what do you do when you've installed nearly 1,000 staples with a $10 staple gun, contorted your torso in positions only seen in Cirque du Soleil, knelt too long, and used a circular saw with improper body mechanics one too many times?  You soak.

Preferably in a deep tub with some epsom salts.  However, if you're like me and feel that it is too much effort to clear off the garden tub, clean it from lack of use, and wait forever for it to fill decently since its design is poorly executed, you can opt for a regular tub with epsoms.  Now, if the regular tub requires too much effort to scour because you haven't been keeping on your children about their non-daily chores, you can opt for the glorious footbath.  A little wash tub (or dish pan), a little water, a little epsom salts--you can be doing your body some good while reading, paying bills, feeding the baby, watching tv, facebooking, playing sudoku, instructing your children, or blogging.  Less effort, less water, less clean-up, less hassle.

And if you're willing to put forth the effort to carry it out there, you could even water part of your garden with it once you're done!

I discuss footbaths further in my Basic Self-Care workshops.

-JS

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Piedmont Farm Tour

After you visit me at the Burlington Downtown Farmers' Market this Saturday, you should swing by a few of the farms on the Piedmont Farm Tour hosted by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association!  There's 40 stops available this year, and it's been noted as the largest tour of sustainable farms in the United States.

An excellent opportunity to pause for some real food!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Savings! Buy 10, Get 1 Free

This market season, for every ten 5-minute chair massages you pay for you'll get one free.  Prefer 10-minute sessions (or more)?  You'll earn that free 5-minutes even faster!  Valid at either market.  Your progress is documented on the back of my business cards.

Just a little FYI--Burlington Farmers' & Crafters' Market is 22 weeks long this year.  That means you can get a 5-minute massage every week and receive two free by the end of market!

Pause for Market Season!

I'll be at two farmers' markets this year!

The Burlington Downtown Farmers' Market is occurring in the parking lot between Company Shops Market and Webb Avenue.  They're gathering Saturday mornings, 8a-12p, April 28th through October.  They're on Facebook and Twitter.

The Burlington Farmer's & Crafters' Market happens Sunday afternoons, 1p-5p, May through September.  They will be in the old Hanes storefront, next to Kitchen Collection, at Burlington Outlet Village (formerly BMOC).  They're on Facebook.

I have a Buy 10, Get 1 Free special occurring this year.

Edited 5/5/2012 to correct storefront location for the Sunday afternoon market at BOV.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Pause for a spot of gratitude

Expressing gratitude is good for the heart and the soul--and I must express some gratitude!


In May 2008 our family had a run-in with a hatchling snapping turtle.  In June 2008 the article I wrote about that incident was published in the inaugural edition of the short-lived Crunchy Carolina e-zine.  I have to admit that I have a sense of pride regarding that article, though I can not give any specific reasons why.  In 2009 I allowed AlamanceMommies.com to publish it in one of their monthly newsletters.

To shorten a longer story, I discovered this week that my article was published on a number of The Mommies Network chapter blogs across the nation but it was only credited as having originally appeared at AlamanceMommies.  No author or byline. I was fully aware that it could appear in other chapters, and I am happy to allow TMN to utilize my article, but it's nice to have your work also have your name attached to it.  When I queried how to resolve this I was contacted by Noel.

I feel a need to bake this fabulous woman a pan of brownies or some decadent treat!  Through our email conversations regarding this over the last two days she has only been gracious, courteous, and kind.  And tonight, when I once again Googled for my article, my heart puddled a bit.  The blog team did an awesome job with its presentation, and the pics they posted with it are incredibly sweet.

My sincere thanks and gratitude to Noel and the other volunteers for their efforts and consideration! 



-JS

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Pause for Real Food

Food has been a challenge in my household lately.  We have a number of food reactions to work around, a budget to work within, and life to navigate through. So it's feeling pretty providential that 100 Days of Real Food was mentioned at a recent playdate.  The timing was spot-on as we're working towards a more wholesome and self-sufficient lifestyle; even the kids are studying farm-to-table.

While Mrs. Leake's family did a 100-day pledge, a 100-day pledge with a defined budget, provide an opportunity for a 10-day pledge, and also 100-days of mini-pledges--we're going to be doing our own variation of a Real Food quest during this market season, one week at a time.  Perhaps it will set us up for next season's Dark Days Challenge.

This week's goals: soda-free afternoons and taking snacks or meals with for us for outings (to prevent a desperate drive-thru dash).

-JS



Saturday, April 14, 2012

Pause for a spot of information

Life is busy and in constant motion.  Sometimes it's important to pause for a moment.  Pause to sit.  Pause to meditate.  Pause to breathe.  Pause for a bite to eat.  Pause for a bit of hydration.  Pause for a spot of massage.  We all need to pause what we are doing and tend to us, and our families.

I'm hoping to reflect on such things in this blog, as well as events pertaining to my massage therapy practice.  If you've been a client of mine for any length of time you have undoubtedly heard me say that I'm only passing on information, not judgement.  I have my own struggles with doing those things we all know we ought to do--eating a balanced diet, drinking sufficient clean water, being outside, getting an adequate amount of rest and exercise, utilizing self-care practices like stretching and foam or tennis-ball rolling, etc.   Society is going at a break-neck speed--take a moment to pause and catch your breath.

-JS

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Thai Foot Massage

A recent addition to my repertoire, this fantastic modality is performed on the table with the client in comfortable clothing that can be rolled just above the knee.  Incorporating acupressure and Thai massage techniques, this massage focuses on feet-to-knees but leaves most feeling like they've enjoyed a full-body massage.  Available as outcall only; 60-minutes (includes preliminary footbath).